Hi there guys, I'm a DJ who has turned his attention from playing recorded sound to actually recording played sound I previously owned a Sound Blaster Audigy "Pro" 4 for simple recording, but i am really looking to go from a mickey mouse audio interface to something that is affordable but professional. I am looking to primarily record guitar and bass from my guitar/bass POD xt pro's and I am looking to utilise the XLR outputs as I believe it to be the best quality connection for recording. What I need to know is...

1. Is the Focusrite Saffire LE a good choice with a good pre-amp etc. for what I need? And
2. is there anything else out there that I have missed that could do a similar job for a better price or do a better job for a similar price? (in England the Saffire is around £150-£200)

Any other tips are welcome too I understand most jargon so don't feel like you need to simplify anything for me, but i just need a helping hand in the right direction.

Thanks guys!